Remote controllers are widely used to operate security systems, including security systems installed in automobiles and other vehicles. In general, a security system with remote control capability includes (1) a remote controller, or simply a remote control, for the operator of the vehicle to carry, and (2) a base system installed or installable in a vehicle and in communication with the vehicles systems such as door locks, starter system, data bus system, etc., and controlled, operated, and/or monitored by the remote controller. Thus, a remote controller is a device through which the operation of one or more vehicle systems can be monitored and/or controlled by transmission and reception of control and monitoring information.
Remote control systems are generally wireless systems. By “wireless” we mean that no direct mechanical connection needs to exist between the base system and its corresponding remote controller, to exchange control and/or monitoring information. Instead, the remote controller and the base system exchange information over a wireless link. Typically, the wireless link is a radio frequency (RF) link, including a link implemented over a microwave frequency band. The link can also be an ultrasound link, with the remote controller and the base system exchanging information by ultrasound signals. The link can also be an infrared (IR) link. These are only some of the more common wireless links, and we do not exclude any other electromagnetic or sound frequencies from the scope of the word wireless in the present context.
With the progress of electronic industry over the years, the capabilities of remote controls have increased substantially. For example, many of the early RF remote control transmitters used only the operating frequency and time (duration) of transmission to operate their base systems. Today, there are digitally encoded, frequency hopping and direct sequence spread spectrum remote control transmitters with code hopping or code rolling capabilities. Sophisticated encryption algorithms are sometimes used for transmissions over control links, making it difficult to duplicate a particular remote control transmitter without knowledge of its operating scheme. In sum, the technological field of remote control systems has grown and advanced with other electronic technologies.
Some of the technological advances have enabled miniature and relatively inexpensive electronic circuitry within a transmitter to operate many more functions of the vehicles systems through the base system than could be operated in the past. These developments have not gone unnoticed by product designers. The trend is to have more and more switches and keys on a remote controller, to operate the increasingly sophisticated base systems. A single remote controller may also be configured to operate (control and/or monitor) selectively base systems installed in two or more vehicles.
In many applications, the size of the remote controller is rather limited. For example, a remote controller of an automotive security system is typically carried by the operator of an automobile. Often, the operator carries the remote controller on a key chain, either in a pocket or in a purse. The remote controller, the key chain with a few keys, and possibly a wallet or pocket change are expected to fit comfortably in a garment pocket. A remote controller with a multitude of finger-operated keys hardly fits this requirement. For these and other reasons, the proliferation in the number of keys on the faces of remote controllers is unwelcome.
Commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,248,150 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,616,099 describe various attempts to reduce the number of keys of a remote controller, while preserving the ability to control or monitor a large number of functions of a controlled device, such as a base system of an automotive security system. The disclosures of the above-referenced patent documents are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties as if fully set forth herein, including Figures, Tables, and Claims.
Information relevant to attempts to improve remote controls can also be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,944,982; 3,949,297; 3,971,986; 3,988,701; 4,021,756; 4,041,394; 4,746,919; 4,890,108; 4,963,876; 5,038,401; 5,648,781; 5,712,638; 5,774,051; 6,127,941; 6,130,726; and 6,158,655.
One problem with certain remotely controlled automotive security systems arises when the remote controller is automatically locked to prevent operation or enabling/disabling of features of the base system through accidental depression of keys or accidental manipulation of other input devices of the remote controller. In some systems, the remote controller locks itself automatically, for example, after a period of inactivity, preventing activation of keys until it is unlocked through some action of its operator. This creates an inconvenience for the operator when the operator attempts to use the remote controller after automatic locking. A need exists in the art to eliminate or reduce instances of such inconvenience caused by the automatic remote controller locking feature.
Another problem with the automatic locking feature arises when the operator needs quickly to silence an alarm, which can be sounded or otherwise indicated when the operator attempts to unlock the automobile. A need exists in the art to enable quick silencing of alarms.
An automotive security system may include a number of sensors, such as glass-break, vibration, tilt, door/trunk/hood opening sensors, and proximity and contact sensors. In some environments, one or possibly more than one sensors or sensor groups can be susceptible to frequent false alarms. For example, a vibration sensor may cause a large number of false alarms when the automobile is parked on a busy street. The operator of the automobile may then be faced with the choice of suffering the consequences of frequent false alarms, or disabling the security system's sensors altogether. A need exists in the art to provide the user more control to remotely select individual system sensors for activation or deactivation while maintaining security to an automobile and avoiding the false alarms caused by a particularly sensitive sensor of the security system. A need also exists in the art to help the operator to identify quickly the offending (triggered) sensor or sensors that are causing the false alarms.
Automobiles may be parked in relatively insecure environments for prolonged periods of time. For example, people leave their automobiles in airport terminals for days and weeks at a time. An automobile's security system may be triggered—falsely or otherwise—numerous times during a single parking period. A need exists in the art to help the operator to determine the number, types, and timing of the alarms or similar security “events” upon the operator's return.
A need in the art also exists to help the operator to identify the specific source of an alarm without returning to the automobile. The operator can then make an educated guess regarding the probability of the alarm being a false alarm.
Some automotive security systems incorporate remote start capability, enabling an operator to start the automobile's engine using the system's remote controller. Remote start is particularly useful to heat or cool the vehicle cabin prior to entry in environments that may suffer extreme temperatures. See, for example, commonly-owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,781,507, 6,828,901, and 7,248,150, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties as if fully set forth herein, including Figures, Tables, and Claims. The remote start capability of an automobile may be terminated or disabled by a number of conditions, including various safety reasons or security-related events such as triggering of security sensors (glassbreak, vibration, proximity, tilt, door/hood/trunk). An operator who is unaware of the remote start being disabled may mistakenly rely on the remote start capability and be disappointed as a result. A need exists in the art to enable the operator of the automobile to find out whether the remote start capability was terminated or disabled, and if so, the reason it was terminated or disabled.
To enable the remote start capability of a manual transmission automobile, the operator of the automobile may first need to perform one or more operations or sequences of operations prior to engaging the system. For example, the operator may have to leave the automobile in neutral gear with the parking brake set, turn off the ignition switch then open and close the vehicle door while exiting the vehicle. The security system base unit with remote start feature receives inputs from the vehicle showing the sequence has been completed. This sequence is designed to establish that the passenger has put the manual transmission in neutral and then set the break and exited the vehicle in a natural manner. Unless the owner performs the required act(s) or sequence(s), the remote start will be disabled so that the vehicle does not lunge forward if the transmission is left in gear while attempting to remote start. The owner may be inconvenienced upon his or her return to find that the remote start did not function as expected. A need exists in the art to help the operator avoid such inconvenience.
It may be desirable to start an automobile's engine remotely in automatic manner. For example, an operator may want to start the automobile at a predetermined time, or a predetermined time interval following locking of the automobile and/or arming the automobile's security system, in order to warm up the automobile's engine and prevent freezing of the coolant. Similarly, the operator may want to keep the temperature in the passenger compartment within a reasonable range, and therefore automatically start the engine and the air conditioning system periodically. (This may be particularly useful if a pet is left in the automobile.) A need exists in the art to enable the operator (i.e., the end-user, as opposed to the installer/programmer of the security system or a similar professional) to set such automatic starts based on various environmental parameters or other criteria, including one or more vehicle states or parameters. A need also exists in the art to enable the operator (again, the end-user) to set or vary engine run time following automatic starts. A need exists in the art to enable the operator to remotely access information regarding the time remaining until the next automatic remote start, remaining engine run time following an automatic start, and/or the state of one or more selected and monitored parameters, such as the parameter(s) activating the remote start—for example, passenger compartment temperature, engine coolant temperature, fuel level and/or electrical system voltage.
After an operator parks an automobile next to a parking meter and leave the proximity of the meter, the operator may forget when he or she last inserted money into the parking meter, and the amount of inserted money. The operator may also forget to move the automobile or to insert additional coins into the parking meter prior to expiration of the parking meter. A need exists in the art to provide means for the operator to monitor the time remaining on the parking meter, and to receive a warning when or shortly before the parking meter expires.
Some remote controllers can be configured to operate two or more automobiles. This might be the case in a single household with several automobiles. The operator may get confused regarding which vehicle the remote controller is configured to operate at a given time. For example, the operator may accidentally switch the remote controller to another automobile, or intentionally switch and then forget about the switch to the other automobile. A need exists in the art to clear up such confusion promptly by providing the user notice regarding the pairing of the remote control to a specific vehicle.
Whenever an operator of the automobile attempts to activate a function of the base system remotely, the operator may not be in a position to observe and confirm that the desired function was in fact activated. For example, an adult operator may send a minor to fetch something from a locked automobile parked outside or in a garage. The operator may want to unlock the automobile and disarm the automobile's security system to allow the minor to open the automobile's door or trunk. The unlocking and disarming commands, however, may not be received by the base system, causing a false alarm and necessitating a second trip to the automobile. There is a need in the art to reduce or eliminate instances of such inconveniences.
The present invention is directed to apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture that satisfy one or more of the above-mentioned and/or other needs.